Bird's Eye View
by Rosabelle Baber
Summary: Hawkeye's fed up, but chooses to keep her mouth shut. Her best friend, who just happens to be Colonel Roy Mustang, is the source of her problems and when he asks her to help with his newest mission, things only get more and more confusing! RoyxRiza
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER:** Full Metal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.

**A/N:** This is just an idea I had a while back, and just recently found in my documents folder. I didn't like it at first, but realized that it may have some potential hidden underneath, and the more I read it, the more I see how it could work out. I hope you all agree and your interest is piqued a little. The prologue is written in the present tense and in first person. First things first, I will NOT be writing the whole story like this, however you may find a few chapters here and there will be from Hawkeye's POV just as this is, just for kicks. Please enjoy.

**PROLOGUE:**

Lately, it's been getting harder to concentrate. Why? I'm not so sure. It doesn't even make that much sense to me, but I'm trying to not let it interfere with my work. However, no matter how hard I try, my eyes just seem to wander upwards, the words on the page no longer capturing my attention. Further and further they go until-

"Lieutenant!"

"Yes, sir?" My pen falls to the desk with a loud clatter and my hand assumes its rightful place in salute.

The Colonel stares at me. Why is he staring at me? Did I do something wrong? Is he angry with-

Out of the corner of my eye, I see that hand just sitting before my forehead. Now why on Earth had I done that? I was saluting him for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was merely an impulse, nothing to get too worried about.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asks, looking concerned.

I nod quickly in reassurance. I am quick to deny any feelings of illness around the Colonel. I am not one to admit to weakness easily. He knows that, so he's just going to try and guess.

"You're acting odd," he points out, as if I didn't already notice.

"I'm sorry, sir..." I reply calmly. I'm not quite sure what he's expecting for an answer.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Lieutenant?" his eyes flash momentarily, showing intense signs of worry. Though, I could be imagining things. It could simply be the glare from the window. The Colonel wouldn't worry about something like this.

But the window is behind him. Strange...

"No, sir," I tell him firmly. "It's nothing."

His eyes narrow almost accusingly, but he returns to his seat. He is failing to finish his original sentence, which leads me to believe he's already forgotten what he wanted me to do. It wouldn't be the first time he's done that.

The silence between us tells me that I'm no longer his main focus. I sit down, though I don't return to my work. Unfortunately, my mind seems to have started wandering again.

He's glancing at me again. I don't understand why he does that. Does he want to make sure I'm working? Or is he trying to figure something out? If so, what is it? I've nothing to hide. He knows all of my secrets...

Well, perhaps not all of them, but only a fair few are still hidden from the complex mind of Colonel Mustang. Those I have vowed to keep with me until I am safely underground. I'm not sure I'll ever tell him.

Okay, I must focus now. I don't want to be here until dawn like last night. These overnight work sessions are not as fun as one would expect. They tend to be rather stressful, and the Colonel has the nasty habit of turning into a child-like character. His whining is enough to drive anyone mad. It's strange how I've managed to keep my sanity this long. Especially working with the men beside me. In case you didn't notice, they're not always..."all there", when it comes to things.

Don't get me wrong, I love them all very much.

But they're idiots. Every single one of them.

Even the Colonel, and his million and a half dates a week, and all the gawking nurses down by the-

"Lieutenant?"

Oh, not again.

"Yes, sir?" This time, I remain in my seat and my hand grips the pen tightly. My eyes lock onto his. Yes, there is definitely something there, but I'm not quite sure what it is. I'm not the only one who's acting odd.

"I received word from the Führer today," he says slowly. This is never good news, especially when addressed with such a dry tone.

"And?" He's falling silent again. Perhaps he has forgotten again?

"He's got something for me," he explains. "Something I'm supposed to look into."

I nod, not sure where he's going with this. He's not going to have me try to get him out of it is he? Or does he want ME to do it instead, because he's got some hot date he wants to go on tonight.

Well, if that's the case then COUNT ME OU-

"I'd like it if you'd help me out..."

Oh no. Oh no. Not another midnight session. Not for me. I'm going home and I am sleeping. That's right, Mr. Mustang. You heard me, it's about time you do some of your own work, instead of having me-

"I'm going to need someone to tag along, and watch my back, you know?" he adds, glancing up at me again. "If I do recall, you said you'd be there for me, to do the very same. What do you say, Hawkeye?"

I'm smiling. I don't know why, but I'm smiling. Why does he always do this to me? He knows I can't say no. He knows I'll always be there for him. He knows I've got his back.

I set my gun onto the desk and gaze at it lovingly. Slowly, I look up. He is waiting patiently for my answer. I'm not sure why he doesn't already assume what it is. I'm not even sure why he bothered to ask.

After all, I _had _said that I'd be there for him to "do the very same".

"Of course, sir." I answer.

"Good." is his only reply. He leans back into his chair, his face disappearing behind several files of papers.

I can no longer see the onyx hues of his eyes, however, I've got this strange feeling that he's still looking at me, even when I can't see him. I'm not being paranoid, but it's a feeling I've had for a long time. It's as though, I'm not the only one doing the protecting around here.

I retract my earlier statement.

Not all the men I work with are idiots. They certainly have their moments, yes, but I'm certain, at times, that there is much more going on behind those friendly blank stares than meets the eye.

**A/N:** So there you are. It's very short, but it's only the prologue. If you're interested to see what happens next, please review and let me know. I'm keen to hear from you! Thanks a lot.


	2. Just The Beginning

Disclaimer:I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

A/N:I apologize profusely to all of you who've started reading this. I've been very busy lately so most of my writing had to be put on hold. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I apologize once again.

Chapter 1: Just the Beginning

"What do you suppose happened?"

Roy knelt down beside a covered body, pulling the white sheet away from the head a bit to peer at the face below. He shook his head slowly, dropping the sheet. Riza watched from her position a couple feet away.

"I'm not sure," Roy stood. "Did anyone see anything?"

An officer standing next to Riza shook his head. "No, sir. She was found by a young man who works in the department store next door."

"Did he touch the body?" Roy asked, his eyes examining the surrounding area.

"He claims that he didn't," the officer explained. "He said that he'd seen her somewhere before, and panicked, immediately calling officials."

Roy nodded. "Did you take down his name?"

The officer looked down at a small piece of paper. "I have it right here. I told him that we'd be in touch if there were any more questions."

Roy looked around, seeing only uniformed men and women. "Did you dismiss him?"

The officer frowned, suddenly feeling as though he'd done something wrong. "Y-Yes, sir. I-I figured that it would be alright-"

"That's fine," Roy said shortly. "That's fine. Thank you, officer."

The officer saluted and moved toward the others. Riza slowly stepped toward him, peering down at the body lying upon the stone floor.

"Any theories?" she asked, keeping her voice so that they were the only ones who'd hear.

"Several," he replied, his voice no louder than her own. "Each one as unlikely as the other."

Hesitantly, Riza knelt down as Roy had done only moments before and pulled the cover back. The girl beneath it looked as though she'd been through quite a struggle. Her face was marked with several long scratches, leaving her bloodied and mangled. Her clothing torn in several places, a large hole residing in her chest, looking as though she'd been impaled.

Riza breathed deeply and covered the young girls face once again. Roy had joined her in her squatting position.

"Bad, isn't it?" he asked.

Riza nodded. "Hard to say what got hold of her," she said. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"I have," Roy said bluntly. "But not alone. It's usually more than one person at a time. All together. Like a massacre."

"That's beautiful, sir..." Riza rolled her eyes and hurried back to her feet.

Roy followed her as they moved away from the body, heading back toward the car. Riza glanced back at the surrounding officers, dropping her voice as she turned away from them.

"Any idea who did it?" Riza asked.

Roy shook his head, reaching out for the door to the backseat. "No," he said sharply, hurrying into the car. "Get in, Lieutenant."

Riza rounded the front of the car, slipping into the driver's seat. He refused to speak as they slowly began to pull away from the crime scene.

"That wasn't a very convincing 'no', sir..." Riza said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. He'd been staring out the window absently since they'd left the scene.

"It wasn't supposed to be," he replied calmly.

Her eyes narrowed curiously, her gaze occasionally darting toward the mirror. "Then, they know who did it?"

"That's why the Führer wanted us to come out here and see it ourselves," Roy explained. "He's not entirely sure who did it, but he's convinced that it wasn't your everyday murderer..."

"You mean..." the car slowed as she focused her eyes on his through the glass. "A Homunculus?"

"Perhaps," Roy answered. "It certainly looks like it, doesn't it?"

Riza nodded. She couldn't think of a normal human being who'd be able to impale a girl like that. "What about Scar?"

"Too clean to be Scar," Roy said shortly.

Riza didn't see anything about the crime scene that she'd consider clean, but kept her mouth shut, nodding shortly. "But why would they kill her?"

Roy raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me?"

"The Homunculi wouldn't kill her unless they had reason to," Riza said matter-of-factly. "She must have known too much about something."

"Or stumbled across something she shouldn't have," Roy's eyes glazed over as he stared out the window once again.

Riza glanced at him, frowning. She knew who he was thinking about, and it bothered her to see him like that.

"And I suppose the Führer wants us to look into this?" she asked, hoping to turn the subject away from motive.

"Yes," Roy answered stiffly, his focus locked on something far beyond Riza's line of vision.

Riza nodded and gripped the wheel tightly. This wasn't anything new to her, but for some reason, there was something about this case that had her on edge.

"He wants us to keep it from Fullmetal," Roy said abruptly, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"Understandable, sir..." Riza said, keeping her eyes forward.

"You think so?" Roy asked, peeking in her direction.

"He's got enough to deal with already," she said. "And besides, this will only get him into more trouble. He doesn't need that."

"That's what the Führer said," Roy muttered.

Riza glanced at him once again. "What do you think, sir? Would you rather have him in on this?"

"Of course not," Roy said hastily. "I just figured he might be of some help. That boy knows more about the Homunculi than any of us."

"The more reason to keep him out of it," Riza's eyes flashed dangerously. "If that girl died sir, because she knew too much, are we willing to risk Edward's life too for the same reasons?"

"He risks his life everyday," Roy said pointedly. "That's the price he has to pay for becoming an Alchemist."

"He's just a boy, sir..." Riza started.

"He's a State Alchemist, Lieutenant," Roy stared at her. "If he wasn't willing to risk it all, he shouldn't have joined the military."

"I seem to recall someone else pushing him to do so," Riza hinted.

Roy frowned sourly, jerking his gaze away. Riza knew she'd gone a bit too far, but often the time came when someone needed to put the Colonel in his place.

"That's not the point," he said finally. "He could be of use to us, which is why I think it's ridiculous the Führer's forbidden us to involve him."

Riza knew she was being terrible, but could hardly help herself. "And since when do you listen to what the Führer orders?"

Roy glared at her, though his look slowly faded to a haughty smirk. "Nobody else needs to know that..."

"Please sir," Riza rolled her eyes. "I'm sure the Führer himself knows it..."

Riza pulled the car onto the grounds of Central Headquarters, parking it hastily as the two of them headed back for Roy's office. He frowned bitterly as he picked up the newest file on his desk, Riza standing promptly before him.

"The missions I don't mind so much," Roy muttered matter-of-factly. "It's the paperwork I could do without."

Riza stepped forward, taking the file from his hands. He watched as she moved toward one of the chairs in his office.

"Lieutenant?" he asked, looking confused.

"You're not going to end up doing it anyway," Riza pointed out, her eyes scanning the pages. "Might as well get it done ahead of time." She glanced up at him. "Who knows, maybe the Führer will think you've changed your ways and gotten a little more serious about your work if this reports actually handed in early."

Roy looked startled. "Now why the hell would I want to give him _that_ impression?"

Riza shook her head sadly and went back to the report. Roy frowned at her and sat behind his desk, looking around for something to do. Finding nothing, he sighed deeply.

Repeatedly.

"Please sir," Riza said, feeling a bit annoyed. "Occupy yourself. I'm sure you wouldn't mind starting your nap early..."

Roy's eyebrows shot up. "Riza Hawkeye is allowing me to _nap_ on the job?" His eyes slowly drooped to a penetrating stare. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied stiffly. This was, of course, a lie. She was having difficulty erasing the face of the young girl from her mind.

Before Roy could speak, there was a sharp knock at the door. The two looked up quickly.

"Come in," Roy ordered.

The door opened slowly, and a small boy entered the room, his blonde hair pulled back into hastily thrown together braid. He smirked as he spotted the others and sauntered into the room, sitting down on a nearby couch. Roy glared in his direction.

"Can I help you?" he asked, a slight note of sarcasm underlying his voice.

Ed waited a while before speaking, as though he were reveling in the thought that his silence was driving Roy insane.

"Not particularly," he answered.

"Edward," Riza said, not looking up from her papers. "The Colonel is busy. If there's something you want, please ask it now."

Ed glanced at her, then back at Roy who seemed to grow more and more frustrated with each passing second. "I want information..." he said shortly.

"And I decide whether or not you get it," Roy replied through grit teeth.

"Well..." Ed said slowly. "I'd suggest that you'd tell me."

Roy rolled his eyes at him. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Blackmail's pretty rough, Mustang..." Ed said, leaning back against the padding of the couch. "Would suck if something were to be slipped to the Führer..."

Riza looked up from the file to stare in Ed's direction. Whatever it was, Ed was determined to learn more. She couldn't help but wonder if something else had happened that they should know about.

Roy didn't speak as the two Alchemists continued to stare at each other. Realizing that Roy had no form of retaliation, Ed grinned triumphantly.

"So, are you going to tell me, or what?"

"You've failed to yet ask a question, Fullmetal..." Roy pointed out, his voice still quite bitter.

"Oh, well..." Ed stood up and started toward Roy's bookshelf, looking over the titles on the spines. "I heard some things today..."

"Stop beating around the bush, Edward," Riza spoke up, starting to feel annoyed herself. "What is it you want to know?"

He turned back to them, a strange glint in his eyes, border lining malicious. "There was an attack..."

Roy and Riza remained silent, staring back at him with blank gazes as to reveal nothing to the boy they were forbidden to give information. He seemed to be searching their faces for answers, frustrated to find none.

"That is none of your concern, Fullmetal," Roy replied coolly, keeping his temper under wraps.

"It is my concern," Ed insisted, his eyes flashing in Roy's direction.

The two stared at each other, each waiting for the other to speak, though neither daring to do so themselves, for fear of exploding. Finally, Ed moved closer to the desk.

"I want to know about the Homunculus..."

A/N: So there you are. The next chapter will be up much sooner than this one was, I promise you. Right now, I'm having bad cases of writer's block, so if there's anything you'd like to see happen in this story, I am fully open to suggestions. Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you!


	3. Day Off

**Disclaimer:** All FullMetal Alchemist names and titles belong to Hiromu Arakawa.

**A/N:** I apologize profusely for the lack of update on this particular fic. Many things have occurred, making updates nearly impossible. For those who questioned it, I do intend on continuing this story, for I have much more free time now than in the past couple of weeks. I have much planned for this story, so I'm rather excited. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**Chapter 3: Day Off**

Roy blinked at him slowly. "What Homunculus?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Colonel…" Ed warned. "I know a Homunculus was involved with the attack. I want to know what you know so far about it."

Roy glanced at Riza whose gaze had not torn from the boy. Slowly, he turned back to Ed. "Very well. We know nothing."

"I'm going to find out anyway," Ed said haughtily. "You might as well tell me now."

Riza spoke quietly but firmly, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Edward, we don't know anything about the attack. They're not certain a Homunculus was even involved. It's merely a speculation. Nothing for you to be worried about."

Ed stared back at her, his look unreadable. Hesitantly, his eyes roved over to the Colonel, then back to Hawkeye. "I want to know once you found out…" he told them.

"Absolutely not," Riza said quickly.

"And why the hell-…" he paused, realizing who had spoken. His eyes locked onto the Lieutenant, looking confused. "And why not?"

"Because," she said shortly, staring at him intently. "It is none of your concern, Edward. If it was, then we'd tell you. Now, please, if you'd excuse us, we have much work to do."

Ed didn't move from his spot, still staring back at her. "What happened?"

"That is none of your concern, Edward," she repeated, becoming a little hotheaded. "As I said before, if it was, you would have been informed. As you have not, you should not worry."

"I'm not worried," Ed said defiantly. "I didn't say I was worried. I'm curious."

"You should learn to control your curiosity," she told him, glancing back at her papers. "It has only gotten you into trouble in the past. One would think you'd learn from your mistakes."

"I'm tired of you treating me like I'm a kid!" he growled, stepping toward them. "I have a right to know! I can handle the truth! I am a State Alchemist, dammit!"

Riza looked up at him slowly. "I never said anything about you not being able to handle it, Edward. We know that you can, and that's what scares us. We fear that you may try to help, although it does _not concern you_, and in doing so, end up hurt. We don't need that to happen."

Roy was even staring at her at this point. She had managed to remain calm and collected when the Colonel himself would have blown his top long before. Ed finally looked away from her, an angry red tint appearing on his cheeks. Finally, he nodded and exited the room without another word.

"I'm not sure how you do it…"

Riza looked up. "Do what, sir?"

Roy shook his head. "Handle people like that. Stubborn and angry. With a temper like that, I'm sure I would have blown the door apart long before Fullmetal had the chance to leave through it."

"I have to put up with it every day, sir…" She said pointedly, staring intently at him.

Roy frowned, realizing that it was he she was talking about. Riza, however, had rarely been the focus of his anger, if not never been the focus. She did seem to know the way to calm him down afterwards nonetheless, which proved to be most important.

Slowly, he got to his feet, moving toward her seat. Standing before her, he took the pen from her hands, causing her to look up at him.

"Sir, what are you-?"

Without answering, he took the papers as well, turning back to his desk. She watched as he took his seat once more and leaned over the papers, signing them furiously.

"Sir, what-?" She began again.

"Go home, Lieutenant…" he said softly.

Riza's eyes widened as she gazed at him wordlessly. There was a long silence before she finally found her voice. "W-What?"

"I'm giving you the rest of the day off," he told her. "Go home. Get some rest. It's been a long day. I'll finish things up around here."

"Sir, you're not going to-" she protested.

"I'll get them done, Lieutenant…" he said, not glancing up at her as he turned the page to sign the various lines indicated. "I promise."

Riza didn't want to go home. She didn't particularly enjoy her days off, for she'd only find herself longing to be back at work. She wasn't sure why, but Roy's company was much better than that of an empty apartment. And Black Hayate didn't make much for a conversation companion.

Roy peeked up at her. "I thought I told you to go home."

Riza blinked back at him, still unable to make herself move. "Sir, I don't wan-"

"Lieutenant," his eyes flashed in the sunlight. "Do I need to make that an order?"

She frowned, finally getting to her feet. "No, sir…"

As the door shut behind her, Roy looked up from his work, shoving the papers away. He sighed deeply once more, then a couple times again, finding the room so much lonelier without her presence.

Riza stepped out from the shower that afternoon, wiping the excess water from her sodden hair, dragging the warm towel across the rest of her body shortly after. Draping it around her, she moved toward the mirror, leaving behind watery footprints.

Slowly, she wiped away a spot on the mirror staring at her reflection momentarily. Almost captivated, she was startled when she was certain her face had become that of the mangled girl she'd seen earlier. She looked away hastily, peeking back a moment later, meeting only her friendly but frightened face.

She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the terrible sight. If there were one thing she could do without in this job, it was the massive amounts of corpses she had to come face to face with, as well as the faces of those she killed in battle. Though Roy would deny it to nearly everyone, she knew it bothered him as well. He had confided that in her on several occasions. It was then that Riza had to be strong and act as though they did not bother her, in order to give the Colonel reason to not be afraid of them himself.

But she was afraid. The faces would continue to haunt her until she lay upon her death bed, she was sure of it, and if there were anything after death, she was certain they would follow her there as well. There would be no peace for Riza Hawkeye. She had decided her own fate the day she decided to follow the man from her past. The day she decided that she would protect him for the rest of her life.

Moving back across the bathroom, she headed toward her bedroom door, Black Hayate close at her heels.

"No, Braha…" she muttered, closing the bedroom door behind her. The small dog sniffed at the crack at the bottom of the door in an attempt to shove his nose under.

Riza dressed in silence, unsure of what she was going to do with the rest of her day. Perhaps she would go and buy some groceries, she had to be low on food for it had been a while since she'd last had a day off. Or she'd buy some flowers for her apartment. The place had gotten rather dark and dingy, once again not having much time to do anything with it. Perhaps they would liven the place up.

She finally made her way from her apartment, Black Hayate before her, leading the way. He yipped happily from the end of his leash as he sniffed along the sidewalk for signs of other dogs.

He stopped quite frequently, catching a new scent, but Riza didn't mind. Her feet were quite tired for some reason, and it allowed her to look around at the vendors along the sidewalk.

"Miss Hawkeye…" an older man gasped as she walked up to his fruit cart. "I haven't seen you around here lately," he said. "Where have you been?"

Riza smiled politely. "Work, Mr. Wing…" she replied. "I've been quite busy lately."

Mr. Wing shook his head. "You military folk," he said slowly. "I'll never understand you. It's all about work. How can you work without enjoying yourself? I see no sense in it."

"I do enjoy myself, sir…" she said, picking up a small apple and placing it into a bag. "It's like babysitting…" She smiled at him, reaching for a nearby orange.

The old man chuckled heartily. "I see no fun in babysitting, Miss Hawkeye. You should be a teacher. Molding young minds to be just as fine as you are, Miss."

She smiled at him kindly, searching over the remaining fruit for something that may catch her eye. "I'm afraid teaching would not be for me," she told him. "I like a little action every now and then."

"But it's dangerous, Miss Hawkeye," Mr. Wing pointed out. "Your Father would not want his daughter dying so recklessly, now would he?" He shook his head. "No, I don't think he would. Now there was a good man. Your Father. Good man."

"Yes, sir," she agreed, nodding shortly. "But I'm not sure he'd be against my choices." She held the bag out for him to inspect. "I think I'll be staying with the military for now."

"Good choice, Lieutenant…" a voice interrupted her.

Riza turned around suddenly, coming face to face with the young face of Roy Mustang. She gasped, composing herself as quickly as possible.

"Colonel!" she yelped. "What are you doing here?" She narrowed her eyes. "Are you stalking me?"

Roy laughed harshly. "Yes, because I have nothing better to do than stalk my First Lieutenant." There was a distinct sarcastic tone to his voice.

"I thought you said you were going to finish those reports," she said, raising an eyebrow as Mr. Wing handed the bag of fruit back to her.

"All done," Roy replied, grinning widely.

Riza gave him a look that said quite plainly 'I don't believe it' as she raised her purse to pay for the fruit. Roy stepped forward.

"I'll take care of it, Lieutenant," he offered.

"Sir, no, I-" she started, reaching out her hand to stop him from opening his wallet.

"Don't worry about it," Mr. Wing said, eyeing Roy suspiciously. "It's on the house today, Miss Hawkeye."

"Mr. Wing, I really couldn't!" she said, turning to him.

"Really, Miss Hawkeye," he said, "I insist!"

Riza looked down at the bag, a faint pink tint creeping into her cheeks. "Thank you…" she muttered.

Hastily she moved past Roy, starting back down the side of the street. He followed her, catching up to her with ease. He walked alongside her for a while, occasionally glancing over at her, though she was purposely ignoring him.

"You don't mind if I walk with you do you?" he asked casually.

"Do I have much of a choice, sir?" she asked, just as casually.

He smiled at her and shoved his hands into his pockets. It was at this time Riza noticed that he'd changed. He was no longer in his military attire, but instead normal clothing one would see on any man walking down the street. It was strange to see Roy clad in such a way.

"Did you really finish those papers?" she asked, finding the silence that had fallen between them smothering.

Roy didn't answer her, avoiding her accusing stare. Riza shook her head, sighing deeply.

"I didn't think so."

"Well…" he started. "I meant to. I nearly finished, actually, but then, I got tired of it. And decided to come and join you. If I have the right to give you the day off, I can give myself the day off too, right?"

Riza shook her head. "You are not your own boss, sir."

"Minor technicality," he waved his hand absently. "And besides, you'll have plenty of time to finish the report for me tomorrow morning."

"WHAT?!" Riza yelped, stopping short to turn and face him. "Roy Mustang, you said that you-!"

Roy laughed and held up a hand to silence her. "I was kidding, Lieutenant. The files are finished and in the Führer's mailbox, all ready to be given to him tomorrow morning."

Riza stared at him, trying to determine whether or not he was lying to her. She was usually gifted with this kind of thing, though this time, she couldn't quite tell. Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, she nodded and they began walking once again.

As they circled the block, Riza decided that she no longed minded having Roy there with her. In fact, she very much enjoyed his company, although the talk was small, for she was, for some strange reason, embarrassed to be with him so informally.

"So, Hawkeye…" he said finally, as they rounded a corner. "You wanna tell me what you did on your day off as I walk you so graciously to your apartment?"

Riza laughed. "What I did today would hardly get us around the next corner…"

Roy shrugged. "That's alright. Make something up." He stared forward. "Tell me about the guy who tried to mug you on your way here, but then you remembered that you'd forgotten your gun in your apartment…"

Instead of Riza telling him about what she actually did, the two made their way back to her apartment creating some ridiculous tale about what _could_ have happened. Roy was pleased to see his Lieutenant smiling so much, for he had gotten so used to seeing the stern, formal side to Riza. He also enjoyed the fact that he was the one making her laugh.

Still doubling over with laughter, the two made their way up the stoop to Riza's apartment. Standing outside the door, Roy turned to her, sighing deeply.

"Well, here we are…"

Riza looked up, suddenly frowning. "Oh…wow. Yes, here we are. Certainly took less time than I thought it would…"

An awkward silence fell between them as they stood, staring in opposite directions, waiting for the other to say something first. Roy stuffed his hands in his pockets once again, fishing around for something to say.

"W-Would you like to come upstairs for some tea, sir?" Riza offered, saying the first thing that came to her mind, though she'd hardly expected it to be something so forward.

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but Black Hayate barked loudly, staring up at them from Riza's feet. He looked impatient to get back inside, weaving his way through Riza's legs. Roy rubbed the back of his neck absently.

"I-I should probably get back to Headquarters," he told her. "There are a few things I should probably check on before heading out entirely." He glanced up at her. "But thank you…Lieutenant. Perhaps some other time."

Riza nodded. "Yes. Perhaps."

He nodded as well, the awkward silence returning. Roy didn't appear to have any initiative to leave the stoop, though Black Hayate had begun to bark again.

"Good day, Lieutenant…" Roy said finally, nodding a final time in her direction and turning to head back down the stairs.

"Good day, sir…" she called after him.

He turned only long enough to give her a short salute then made his way down the road. Riza sighed deeply as she watched him, sad to see him go, but glad to have avoided the inevitable embarrassing situation that would have followed had he taken up on her offer of tea.

Once the Colonel had disappeared, she turned toward the large front door of her apartment building. "Come Braha…" she said shortly to the small dog still barking at her feet. "Let's go upstairs…"

**A/N:** So there we are. I hope you enjoyed it. A little hint of Royai tossed in there. There, of course, will be much more intense Royai situations later on in this fic, but all good things will come to those who wait. I do not hope to keep you waiting for long, but while you are, please review! I like to know that you're still curious as to what's coming next. Thank you all so very much for reading.

-R.B.


	4. The Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** Hello there readers. I apologize for the long time wait between chapters, but I'm afraid the lack of reviews has caused me to lose some inspiration. This chapter is very short, and I apologize, however it occurs in Riza's point of view again. I apologize as well for any OOC-ness. There are indeed hints of Royai, though, so please enjoy.

**Chapter 4: The Dreams**

He's invading my dreams now. He had only on rare occasion before, but now he's making it more frequent, and harder to ignore. It's not always in the most formal of senses either. Some are most casual. Most like their last unexpected meeting.

Most unlike the Colonel.

It bothers me, but not enough for me to dwell on it as I lay here, staring at the ceiling. I have more important things to think about. For instance, there will be a more than large pile of papers on my desk tomorrow morning, seeing as the Colonel probably _didn't_ finish all his work as promised. And then, there will probably be even more work to look into, since there was some sort of disturbance going on as I left Headquarters. It was not in my department, therefore none of my concern, but one can only wonder how long it'll take to get to me.

I think I need to find a new place to live. It's comfortable here, but there's a spot on my ceiling. The roof is leaking.

But I'm not on the top floor.

Perhaps the people above me are leaking.

What a disturbing thought. Shaking my head, I try to drive it from my mind, finding it difficult to do so without bringing back my dream.

Rolling over, I find myself growling into my pillow. "Royyy…"

Punching it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. His face is still vibrantly colored before my eyes, as though taunting me, knowing that I'll never be able to escape from him. Bound by a promise, I'd never be able to get away.

And this case. This new case has got me thinking even more. The face of that girl has played yet another important character in the activity of my dreams, always appearing at the most random times, ruining whatever moment had been building before.

_Moment…_

_Nice Rize. Good way to put it. Avoid the reality behind it. _

_Why don't you admit that you've been dreaming about the Colonel fuc-_

No. I'm not going to and that was certainly _not_ what I was dreaming about. I have never had a dream that involved me and the Colonel romantically. _Never_. Not even once.

_You liar…_

Damn conscience. It was becoming more and more difficult to drown out as I tried my best to avoid situations that would only make working with Roy Mustang more of a living hell than it already was.

The man was obnoxious, self-centered, rude-

_Why does it hurt when you say things like that?_

Because he's still my friend. That's all I can say to explain it. One normally feels guilty when they insult one of their friends.

_Just a friend…Is that true?_

I've got to stop it. I've really got to stop this. It isn't right. We have a very important case to be looking at, along with the Homunculi, and Edward and Alphonse with their Philosopher's Stone. We can't possibly focus on anything else, for fear of getting lost in the clouds like those young couples around us. Working together, we're nearly unstoppable, but as anything else, it gives us weakness. It gives enemies something to prey upon.

That's why nothing's happened. There had been a time, yes, when I would have considered the Colonel, Roy as he'd merely been at the time, no further title, as something much more than a student of my Father. There was a time when he'd openly said sweet things I can only imagine him saying to girls now, to me instead. I hadn't entirely succumbed to them then, nor would I be able to now, but he'd won me over easily, whether or not I'd admit it.

But things changed. He left for war, and I had sworn I'd seen the last of him. Despite the desperate promises that had been made in the heat of summer evenings under the stars, I never expected to meet the handsome face of Roy Mustang again.

Even after I went looking for him. I joined the military to protect him, because sitting alone in my Father's house merely waiting for the latest war report was not enough. I wasn't going to wait around forever.

I didn't expect to work under him either. That, to be honest, had been quite the backfire. I would be working under him, keeping a close eye on him as I'd planned, but we could never go back to being as we once were. It was unlawful. Against the rules.

Taboo.

Which is why I kept my distance. We certainly had our moments, but they were nothing more than fleeting and quickly forgotten.

_Moments…you're using that word again…_

Merely because I want to look at them as nothing else. It's gotten me through these many years; it should help me get through the ones to come. Relationships, or the lack thereof one, had never bothered me before. Lately, it had been difficult for me to ignore the strange signs of interest Roy had been giving once again, therefore causing that juvenile longing for a partner to resurface. But I had never acted upon anything. A girl in my position didn't need a one-stand stacked upon everything else.

I had done a lot of dirty things in my life. I didn't need them to get any dirtier.

But why must I relive all this. Why am I sitting here, still staring at the same spot on the ceiling, reminiscing over times we'd both much rather be forgotten? Why do I find myself playing his soft promises over and over in my head like some strange record player.

_Pull yourself together, Lieutenant. You mustn't show signs of weakness!_

Oh so now it's starting to agree with me. I'm losing it. I'm slipping. The low voice in my head, the one outside my sneering conscience, continues to speak. It continues to feed me lies. The very lies I'd once bought. The lies that still had yet to come true.

_Ring! Ring!_

Who's calling me now? Especially at this hour? What time is it anyway? I don't remember checking the clock once I'd woken up, and it's much too dark for me to be late. No, something's wrong.

Ripping the blankets off the bed, I reach out for the receiver on my bedside dresser, pulling it to my ear. The other end is crackled and unclear, making it nearly impossible for me to make out the voice.

"…out here…now…"

"Colonel Mustang?" I ask, the voice registering in my mind. "Sir, is that you?"

"Lieutenant…emergen-…here…" the voice continued to break and fizzle out.

"I-I can't hear you…" my voice rises as my heart begins to beat loudly. "Sir, where are you?"

His voice continues to fade out, causing even more frustration on my part. I couldn't tell where the Colonel was, or what it was that was going on.

"Roy…" I venture to speak his name. "Roy, can you hear me? Roy, answer me!"

Without warning, the line goes dead, and with it, my heartbeat.

**A/N:** Cliffhanger, yes, and I apologize for that as well, however, I cannot continue this particular scene in only Riza's point of view. Present first person is very difficult to write, and makes reading awkward, especially for action-y scenes. The next update will be much quicker, granted I receive more reviews. I have plans for this story now, many ideas popping up while working on this chapter, so I'd like to continue. If you'd like me to continue as well, please tell me, or I'll be forced to put it to rest for good. (And please, don't make me do that.)

Thank you.

-R.B.


	5. Seeking Answers

It didn't take Riza long to reach Central Headquarters after receiving the phone call

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Full Metal Alchemist. All credit goes to Hiromu Arakawa.

**A/N:** Hello oh faithful readers. Forgive me for my long absence, but things have been rather hectic in my life. Thankfully, things are less hectic, so I've had time to get back to my writing. Thank you all for being so patient and I hope you remain curious about this story long enough for me to finish it. Please enjoy! (Oh and I noticed that the past two chapters have been misnumbered. They should read chapters 2 and 3, not 3 and 4. Sorry about that. Here is the REAL chapter 4)

**Chapter 4: Seeking Answers**

It didn't take Riza long to reach Central Headquarters after receiving the phone call. She had hardly dressed herself before she came bursting through the front double doors, ruffled and quite out of breath. Several officers turned to stare as only her blonde hair and a blur of blue uniform could be seen flying down the nearest hallway.

Approaching the Colonel's office, she froze, her hand gripping the knob tightly, as though it were some kind of precious object. Slowly it turned and the door swung open, revealing to her nothing more than an empty office.

Riza's heart was in her throat as she moved into the room, taking notice of the disheveled state of his desk. It had been quite obvious Colonel Mustang had been here at one point in the morning. She only hoped the papers that remained would give her a hint as to where he had gone.

Shuffling through them, she could feel her heart grow heavier although it seemed to have found its permanent place in her throat. The papers were nothing more than reports that Roy should have finished days before, but had merely procrastinated on. They held no importance to the dire situation at hand.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?" a quiet voice asked from the hallway.

Riza looked up abruptly to see the small, bespectacled form of Scieszka staring back at her. She was paler than usual, and Riza took notice, though she remembered to take into consideration the fact that Scieszka was often shook up easily.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice still small and hesitant. The files in her hands were nearly crushed under her vice grip, tearing a little at the way her hands were shaking so violently. "S-Shouldn't you be helping the others? They're going to need you, aren't they? Won't Colonel Mustang want you to be-?"

Riza nearly leapt over the desk, abandoning all characteristically calm feelings, landing just before the small girl. "Where are they?" she demanded, still furious that the Colonel could not have been more specific before.

"Y-You don't know?" Scieszka asked, looking worried. "They said that they would call you. They didn't call you?!"

"No, no, they did," Riza said impatiently. "They just left out some details. Tell me. Where did they go?"

Scieszka shook her head. "I-I don't know. I'm not in the higher ups. I'm not allowed to know. Very, very sudden actually. The whole place blew up with panic. There were people running and shouting and…" her head looked like it was on some sort of hinge. "I only caught bits here and there as I poked my head out to see what was going on. I don't usually bother myself with such dangerous things. I am just-"

Riza didn't have time to hear about this. Her Colonel was out there, somewhere, anywhere, possibly in great danger. It was her duty to protect him, and if she failed at that, she would never be able to live it down.

Pushing her way past the trembling girl, she made her way back into the, now quite silent, hallway. It seemed as though every officer in the building had suddenly vanished, and those who still remained were locked in their offices with orders not to speak a word to anyone.

"Sergeant Brosh!" Riza called out, recognizing the blonde officer at the end of the hall. "Sergeant Brosh!"

Denny Brosh turned around abruptly, saluting to the First Lieutenant approaching him.

"At ease…" she said hastily, stopping before him. "Where is the Colonel?"

Brosh dropped his hand to his side and frowned, looking quite concerned. "You didn't hear?" he asked.

"No!" Riza was getting a bit annoyed. Why was she the only one completely unaware of what was going on? "Where are they? And why aren't you with them?"

Brosh fell silent for a moment, as though torn between answering and keeping his mouth shut. "I want to be out there…" he decided. "I've been ordered to stay here though…"

"But, you know where they are?" Hope washed across Riza's flustered face as the Sergeant fell silent once again. "Brosh, please…you have to tell me…"

Brosh shook his head. "I'm sorry, I've been ordered to stay here and keep my mouth shut. If I tell you, it'll be my-"

"If you don't tell me, it may be the cause of the Colonel's death, Brosh!" Riza's face turned red with anger, which seemed to be enough to get her point across to the rather cowardly Sergeant. "Tell me where Colonel Mustang and the others have gone…that's an order!"

Brosh stared at her, wide-eyed. "They believe there's been another attack…on the other side of Central…"

"An attack?" Riza's eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into her bangs. "On who? What kind of attack are we talking about here?"

"I don't know…" Brosh replied honestly. "I only know there was an attack, and that the Colonel brought Maria along with him…"

Of course that would be one of the only things he'd know about this situation. Riza rolled her eyes and started toward the front of the building. She stopped suddenly when she realized that Brosh was no longer behind her.

"Brosh?" she turned around, scanning the room. "Where are you?"

"Here, ma'am…" he appeared from behind a desk, his hand raising in salute once again.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming with me?" she asked, as though the answer should have been more than obvious.

"I've been ordered to-to…" the young man stammered.

"Well, now I'm ordering you to follow me, now come on!" Riza was starting to get annoyed with her company. She wasn't used to this kind of protest.

Brosh looked nervous, but he seemed to be more terrified of what Riza would do if he disobeyed her. Following her at quite a distance, she led him out the front doors, down to an awaiting military car. Without even a vocal command, she pointed to the passenger seat and Brosh hopped in, slamming the door behind him quickly.

It took Riza less than fifteen minutes to get across town, although specific directions were rather difficult to get from her nearly incompetent companion.

"What was that!?" Brosh yelped as the ground beneath the car gave a violent shudder.

"We're definitely going the right direction," Riza narrowed her eyes, keeping a look out for a sign of her Colonel, or any of the other officers.

She couldn't help but wonder why he had brought Maria along with him instead of her. Was it because the attack was so sudden, and he needed a sharpshooter beside him? Or was it because he felt that Maria was more worthy an officer to stand beside him?

Was she about to be replaced?

Shaking her head, she continued toward the source of the rumble. She couldn't think like that, or she'd get distracted and perhaps arrive a moment too late.

And then she saw them. A group of officers in blue uniforms stood around something she couldn't see. The rumbles seemed to have died down, but it was obvious that something was still going on.

The car had hardly stopped before Riza tore from the driver's seat, running toward the crowd of officers, her pistol in hand. For a place that had just been the site of a serious crime, it was unnaturally silent. Riza began to fear what was to be found just beyond the officers.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Maria Ross came running toward her. "Where have you been? The Colonel called you nearly two hours ago!"

Riza opened her mouth to retort, but decided to keep her mouth shut. She shook her head and moved past the officer, her eyes still scanning for her Colonel.

"Brosh?" Maria noticed the man finally emerging from the car.

"Hawkeye!"

Finally the voice came. Riza's heart seemed to leap into her mouth as the ruffled black hair of Roy Mustang came into view. Several large burns had appeared across his once handsome face, and his uniform seemed to be covered in what looked like soot.

"There you are," he didn't seem to be as rushed as she had expected him to be. "Finally…"

"What's going on here, sir?" Riza asked, her heart still beating wildly as she started to take in the damage around them. Several large buildings had sides missing, and what looked like a road had been torn up and crinkled like some discarded ribbon.

"There was an attack…" he said, taking her by the arm to lead her toward the scene.

"I'm aware of that much," she said quickly, and a tad bitterly. "Who was involved? Was it something new?"

Roy shook his head, glancing back at the officers behind them, as if he was making sure they couldn't hear them. "It's the same as the other…only this time, we sort of caught the murderer in the act…"

"You caught who did it?" Riza looked up at him.

"Uh…" Roy looked away hastily. "Not exactly…"

"Not exactly?" Riza raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, well…we didn't," he admitted. "But, we have more of a lead now than we had before. Unfortunately, we couldn't save the victim this time…"

They stopped before a blanket-covered body and Riza sighed. Bending down, she pulled the blanket away from the victim's face and cringed. Once again, it was a young woman, who appeared to be torn apart from the inside out. Shuddering, she covered the woman back up and brought herself to full height.

"Homunculus?" she asked.

"We're not sure…" he said slowly. "It could be…it's very likely it is…but we can't rule out our other options…"

"And what are our other options?" Riza was curious.

"Well," Roy rubbed the back of his neck. "We're not sure of that either…"

Riza couldn't believe what she was hearing. He had woken her up in a state of panic, for something that had turned out to be no more helpful than the last investigation they'd been a part of.

"Brosh?" Roy noticed the officer now standing with the others. "I thought I told you to stay behind!"

Brosh began to tremble and stammer as he tried to answer the Colonel honestly, without bluntly stating that he disregarded his orders.

"I ordered him to come along, Colonel…" Riza finally spoke up.

"You went against my orders, Lieutenant?" he looked back at her. "You know that's forbidden, right?"

"I know…" Riza stood her ground. "And I'm sorry…but I needed answers. You left me with nothing and I had to-"

"Ross!" Roy called out. "Take Brosh back to Central. Your silence order is still in effect, no matter what other orders Lieutenant Hawkeye may have given you…"

Ross nodded quickly and headed back toward Riza's car.

"Take Lieutenant Hawkeye with you…" there was an uneasy feeling of anger behind Roy's voice as he turned from his First Lieutenant. "She and I need to have a long chat when I return…"

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one should be quite interesting as tensions grow between the Colonel and his Lieutenant, and not quite in a positive way just yet. And more is to come about the mysterious murderer…believe me. He (or she!) will begin to take form very soon. Thank you so very much, readers! And I intend on updating very soon!


	6. Follow Up

**Disclaimer:** All credit goes to Hiromu Arakawa.

**A/N:** Hey folks! I am so terribly sorry for not being able to update in nearly a year, but I thank all of you who have been ever so patient with me. A lot has been happening over the past year, and its left me both emotionally and physically drained. I seem to have lost my muse, so it's hard to actually find the inspiration nowadays to write. But, I've recently taken up a babysitting job that requires me to sit up 14 hours through the night, to watch a 2 year old while she sleeps. (I kid you not) So here I am, and I'm going to be updating much more often. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**Chapter 5: Follow Up**

"What the _hell_ do you think you were doing, Lieutnant?"

Roy slammed the door behind him as he entered his office, finally returning from the newest crime scene. Riza had been waiting for him inside since she'd be escorted back, still fuming from his reactions upon her arrival.

"I'm not quite sure I know what you're talking about, _sir_," she shot back, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. She wasn't going down without a fight. Not this time. She had every reason to act in the manner she did.

"I specifically ordered you to report to the site immediately," he explained, stepping forward, his arms spread wide in exasperation. "I specifically ordered you to not say a word to anyone at Central–"

"Sir, I-" Riza attempted to butt in.

"And _then_, you went and ordered Brosh to defy _my_ orders as well," Roy hadn't seemed to have heard her. "Is there something suddenly wrong with you, Lieutenant? Did I piss you off or something to make you waltz in here, acting like you're the big cheese or something?"

Riza didn't know what to say. That hadn't been the case at all, and he wasn't going to let her explain. Perhaps when he cooled off a bit she'd get her word in, but from the looks of it, he wasn't losing steam just yet.

"Someone could have _died_, Hawkeye!"

"Someone _did_ die, _Sir_!"

This seemed to catch his attention, finally. He froze, his arms falling to his sides as he stared at his now shaking Lieutenant. His mouth hung open for a moment, unable to come up with something to say to this.

Clearing his throat, he found his voice once again. "Perhaps the course of events would have been different had my Lieutenant been there. You know Ross is nowhere near as sharp a shooter as you-"

This had certainly been a low blow. There was no way he could go blame the death of that woman on her. She wasn't going to stand for it.

"Sir," Riza began slowly. "That's not even remotely fair, and you know it. I couldn't hear a word you said on that phone call, so I did what any reasonable officer would have done. I assumed someone at Central would know where you were, so I went there to see what I could find out. I was only looking out for you."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and Roy heaved a frustrated sigh, moving toward his window. Riza stood in silence for a moment, waiting for some kind of smart alec retort or a dismissal from her position, but neither came. Instead, he spoke with a strange calmness that had seemed impossible to him only moments before.

"She was alive, Lieutenant…" he said. "She was alive when we got there. And she was alive for a good amount of time too. I was feeling confident about this one, and then…she was gone. It was like both of them, she and her killer, slipped right through our fingers."

"Did you get a good look at them," Riza asked, her voice now hushed as well. "The killer, I mean. Did you see their face?"

Roy shook his head. "Her face was covered."

Riza's eyes shot open. "_Her_?"

"Yeah," Roy replied. "Her. I couldn't imagine a woman doing this either, but believe me, there was no mistaking that kind of figure."

Riza scoffed at the emphasis Roy placed on the last few words of his sentence. She couldn't help but assume that her Colonel had more than likely checked out the killer fully before taking action. And she was certain that was probably part of the reason she got away.

"What happened, exactly? Who reported the attack?" Riza asked, quickly changing the subject.

"It was an anonymous call," Roy explained, turning only slightly from the window. "Later, we found out it was a young man from the apartment building next door. He said he heard a commotion, and called us."

"Why did he call us instead of the police?" Riza asked, her hand reaching for a small file on the edge of his desk. The word "Homunculi" was stamped on it in bright red. "How did they know we were on this case?"

Roy turned around to face her, and she dropped the file immediately. He laughed softly. "Come on, I'm sure it was an accident. Guy seemed like a paranoid quack anyway."

There was a sudden knock on the door and Maria Ross peeked her head in. She held a small file in her hands and looked a bit hesitant about entering the Colonel's office.

"Sir, I don't mean to intrude," she said quietly. "I've got the reports from today's attacks. I thought you might want to see the photos. They're…a bit odd, sir."

Roy glanced at Riza and nodded, gesturing for Ross to move toward his desk. He pushed aside the file Riza had reached for only moments before and strategically placed a book across the stamp. Ross didn't know about the Homunculi, nor did he intend for her to ever find out. The less everyone knew, the safer they'd be. At least, that was his theory.

"What did you find?" he asked as the three of them circled the desk, peering down at the folder.

Ross pulled out a few of the photos and splayed them out in front of the others. "When we got there, sir, the woman was slashed, but not terribly. It was clear they'd been fighting for a while, but she was okay, right? You saw her yourself…"

"Right…" Roy nodded. "We got her away. She was on the stretcher. The others said that she'd be fine. All we had to do was get her attacker."

Ross picked up another photo and placed it in front of him, her hands trembling a bit. "Something happened to her while she was on that stretcher, sir. I don't know what exactly, but she didn't look like this when we found her…"

Roy nearly gagged at the sight of the woman in the photo, if it were truly a woman in the photo he was looking at. Ross had been right. When they arrived on the scene the woman was bloodied and torn, but not falling apart like this.

"How did that…" he began slowly.

"I don't know, sir. Nobody said they saw anything. Whoever it is we're dealing with – _whatever_ it is we're dealing with, they certainly know what they're doing." Ross said.

"Maybe she wasn't alone…" Riza suggested.

"That would make sense," Roy agreed. "I never once took my eyes off her."

_I don't doubt that…_Riza thought bitterly.

"There's no way she could have gotten past all of us. The woman was guarded. Medics were treating her from the moment we arrived." Roy tried to make sense of everything. "There was no way she did this on her own…"

"But even if there was a second person," Ross started. "How would they have gotten past the Medics? I'm telling you, sir, we're dealing with something bigger here! I know it sounds crazy, but I think it's something unn-"

"Can you please excuse us, Ross?" Roy said suddenly.

Ross looked up quickly. "What? I…" She frowned. "Of course, sir."

She nodded shortly and saluted to both the Colonel and his Lieutenant before exiting the room. Riza couldn't seem to get her eyes off the photographs, despite how terrible they were.

"I don't know if these Homunculi can make themselves invisible, Hawkeye, but," he took a deep breath. "There was no way someone got past the medics. It's impossible. There were tons of them - and tons of us! She was cornered, and anyone out of our control would have been stopped before even getting close to the victim."

Riza nodded in agreement. She'd seen the number of people there when she arrived. It was a wonder she'd managed to get through. "Do you think it's definitely a Homunculus then, sir?"

Roy didn't answer immediately. It seemed as if this were their only option. People didn't spontaneously rip themselves apart without someone nearby noticing. Whoever – _whatever_ – had done this had an incredible gift of stealth on their side.

"I want to speak to that man," Roy said finally.

Riza looked confused. "What man? I thought you said it was a woman…"

"The man who called it in," Roy stood and moved toward his phone. "I want to know why he called us instead of the police. I want to know everything that he saw. I don't want to give him enough time to leave town."

Riza's eyes met his suddenly. "Are you suspecting he's involved in this sir?"

Roy's fingers quickly dialed a number Riza didn't recognize. Holding a hand over the mouth piece, he looked back at her. "I'm not sure what I think anymore, Lieutenant, but someone who shouldn't have been on that scene was closer to our victim than I care for – Yes, I need an outside number," he flipped open the folder Riza had previously attempted to snatch and scanned the page for a number, the person on the other end finally answering. "A Jonathan Kayter, please."

There was a brief pause as the woman on the other end attempted to locate the man that Roy had indicated. Riza thought it strange that they hadn't already gotten the man's phone number during their brief meeting with him. Riza was certain Roy had mentioned the man sounding like a "paranoid quack", she could only assume they'd met face to face.

"The only person with access to that scene aside from us was the witness," Roy explained as the woman continued searching. "Lieutenant, I wouldn't have thought him up to it, but at this point, anything is – Yes, I'm still here. He…doesn't. That's…okay. I-…thank you."

Roy dropped the phone back onto the receiver, his brow furrowing with confusion and frustration. Riza waited for him to speak, already knowing they'd hit one of many dead ends to come.

"He's not listed…" he finally said.

"Sir, you didn't ask him for a phone number when you met with him?" Riza asked, feeling as though this should have been a more than obvious question, had they needed to contact him for more information about what he'd heard. Much like they were doing right now.

Roy shook his head. "He claimed he didn't have a phone…" he said. "I thought it was strange, but like I said, he seemed a bit paranoid. Jittery, you know. Like he thought someone would see him talking to us."

"But you said he called in the report," Riza pointed out. "How could he have done that without a phone."

Roy frowned, looking back down at the report in front of him. "The phone call came in from a public pay phone. That's why it was listed as anonymous when the case began. Crazy bastard came running up to us as soon as we got onto the scene. Nearly blew our cover completely."

Riza sighed and dropped into the nearest chair. "Then what are we going to do, sir? You have no suspects, no leads, no theories, except for that we think it was a Homunculus, and because we know nothing about them, we're at even more of an impasse."

Roy froze, his eyes focused on something across the room Riza couldn't quite figure out. A small smirk began to appear at the corner of his mouth as he gripped the folder tightly. Reaching for his hat, he started toward the door.

"Come Lieutenant…" he ordered, "We're going to make a house call."

**A/N:** Alright, so I hope you all enjoyed that. Once again, thank you so much for being so patient with me. I promise there will be updates much more often these days. Let me know if you're still interested to see where this story goes, though, of course. You all will have to be my motivation even more now, okay? I love you all, and thank you for being so amazing.

-R.B.


	7. The Article

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** Hello there everyone. I apologize for taking so very long to update, but I promise to be more prompt with them for now on. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 6: The Article**

The golden tape still shined around the alley as they approached the building adjacent to their crime scene. The apartment wasn't exactly in what they would have called they nicer side of town, but it didn't look deserted or condemned either. Climbing the slightly crumbling concrete front steps, Roy knocked on the front door.

There was no response. Roy searched the doorway for a sign of a bell, but there was nothing. Riza turned to peer through the window, but a thick layer of grime and dust blocked anything beyond it from view.

"Can I help you folks?" a voice came from behind them.

An older woman watched them curiously from the sidewalk, a paper bag of groceries in her arms, and a gray cat at her feet. Roy cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to appear as professional as possible.

"Uh…yes, actually," Roy said. "Do you live here?" He pointed back at the doorway.

The woman raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. When she spoke, Roy noticed the top row of her teeth were missing. "No, young man. I'm afraid no one's lived there in many years."

Roy and Riza exchanged glances. It certainly didn't look like the place had been inhabited in ages, but Roy had been positive this was where Kayter said he lived. Perhaps the old woman didn't know what she was talking about.

"Do you know of a Jonathan Kayter then?" Riza asked. "We were told that he lived here."

The old woman blinked slowly, looking more confused than before. She opened her mouth to speak, shaking her head a little. "I'm afraid Jonathan Kayter hasn't-"

"You're looking for Jonathan Kayter?" another voice joined them, this time coming from near the sectioned off alleyway.

"Yes," both Roy and Riza turned to the source of the new voice.

The man who spoke hid beneath a heavy hood, a dark shadow cast across his face. He took no notice of the old lady as he moved closer to the steps.

"Do you know him?" Roy asked, placing himself before Riza, just in case their newcomer had something up his sleeve.

The man slowly removed his hood, looking around hesitantly. "I'm Jonathan Kayter."

Roy recognized the man almost instantly, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Mr. Kayter, I'm -"

"Colonel Roy Mustang," Jonathan moved toward the apartment swiftly, whipping his hood back up. "Yes, yes, I remember you. I'm assuming you're here to ask me questions. Yes, yes, I figured this would happen. Come, come. Inside we go. No need to air our dirty laundry in public. No need, indeed."

Roy allowed the man to pass, hesitating a bit before following. The woman who'd been speaking to them before Kayter showed up made her way up the stairs of the next apartment, her eyes still watching them carefully. He could tell something wasn't right with this situation. That woman would have known if someone had been living next door to her.

"Colonel, sir," Jonathan's voice sounded from inside. "Please come inside, sir. Hurry now."

Roy stepped inside, closely followed by Riza, who closed the door, quickly testing it to see if they were going to be locked inside. Kayter didn't appear dangerous, but off his rocker was a complete certainty.

"Here we are, here we are," Jonathan showed them into what looked like a junk room. An old couch stood next to a broken table, both buried in thick dust and mold. Boxes lined the walls, each one labeled with a different series of numbers and letters. Only a single chair stood at the table, but one of the legs bent at such a dangerous angle, neither of them dared to sit down on it, even after Jonathan offered them a seat.

"I don't expect we'll be here very longer, Mr. Kayter," Roy said carefully. "We just have a few questions for you in regards to the incident you witnessed this morning."

Jonathan looked up suddenly. His eyes were wide as he shook his head. "Terrible business, terrible business. Don't want to see something like that ever again. Very terrible business."

"Yes," Roy stepped closer to him, "We were wondering if you tried to interfere with this incident at all. When you saw the young woman getting attacked, did you, at all, try to stop it from happening before or after calling us?"

"Me?" Jonathan blinked stupidly. "Oh no, no, no, sir. Never me, sir. I'm not strong. I could have never - I wouldn't be able to, sir."

Riza rolled her eyes. She couldn't even begin to imagine the ego-trip going on in Roy's mind with every 'sir' Jonathan spoke. She was sure they weren't going to get much out of this man.

"So you didn't touch the body after it was moved from the scene?" Roy continued. "You didn't go anywhere near it?"

Jonathan seemed to be busying himself with something on the dusty counter. He turned the tap on the sink, though nothing came from the spout. His back arched a bit as he sorted through the various objects cluttering the area.

"She needed help," he said softly. "She needed help, and they weren't getting her out of there quick enough. If you had gotten her out of there, that wouldn't have happened to her. No sir. They wouldn't have gotten to her." Jonathan froze, and turned slowly, his eyes once again wide with shock. "No offense meant, sir. I did not mean to offend your men. They could not have moved quicker, sir."

"Mr. Kayter," Riza finally spoke up, getting a bit frustrated with Jonathan's vague responses. "Does this mean that you touched the body once we had moved it from the scene?"

"Oh, no, no!" he shook his head furiously. "No, ma'am. I would not touch. You're not supposed to - to touch the body once - once it's been moved. I've read up on that, I have, ma'am. I know what I'm doing, with all due respect, ma'am."

Riza glanced at Roy, who was still eyeing the man before them with intense curiosity. They were at an impasse. Jonathan certainly seemed to go back and forth on his stories a lot, but he said nothing they could hold against him or use as potential evidence.

Roy moved to Jonathan's side, causing the man to jump a little at the sudden movement. He held a pair of rusted forks, moving them back and forth beneath the tap as if he were cleaning them, without the water. Satisfied, Jonathan placed the "clean" forks onto the counter and picked up a chipped plate.

"Mr. Kayter," Roy's voice was low. "Do you live here alone?"

Jonathan didn't respond. Instead, he placed the plate beside the forks and picked up a very dangerous looking pair of scissors that had been burrowed beneath another couple of plates. Roy held out a gloved hand, placing it over the handle of the scissors.

"I'm going to have to ask you to put those down for a second, Mr. Kater," he said softly.

"Is there something wrong, Colonel?" Jonathan looked up, not putting the scissors down.

Riza immediately understood Roy's concern and her hand moved to the butt of her gun as she took a couple steps forward.

Jonathan looked back at Riza, then at the Colonel, his eyes moving back and forth between the two a good couple of times before resting on the scissors. Finally, he let the go and allowed Roy to pull them away. Carefully, he pocketed them, ignoring the open palm Riza had offered him.

"Do you live here alone, Mr. Kayter?" Roy asked again, this time, moving closer to the hesitant man. It was clear that his hands had begun to shake as soon as the scissors were removed from them.

"I do now," he said quietly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roy asked, dreading the answer.

Jonathan looked up, his eyes devoid of any real emotion. Riza's eyes scampered across the room, looking for the sign of any living being. It was beyond her how any human being could live in these conditions. She pulled her gun in front of her, aiming it at Jonathan's unsuspecting back, just in case he pulled anything quick.

"I thought that would be obvious, Colonel, sir," Jonathan said, his eyes boring into those of Roy.

"I'd like you to explain it to me, Mr. Kayter," Roy urged, signaling for Riza to move closer.

Jonathan tore his gaze away, moving away from the counter. Riza lowered her gun as he moved past her, focusing on a stained box across the room. Roy crossed to Riza's side, placing himself in front of her.

Jonathan said nothing as he began to tear through the contents of the box. Random papers and folders flew across the floor, ripping and kicking up layers of dust as they went. Clearly not satisfied with what he found, the box was cast aside and Jonathan reached for another.

"Sir, do you think he's the one who did it?" Riza asked, her voice as low as possible.

Roy shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm not going to leave without an answer, whether he did it or not."

Jonathan stopped moving suddenly, a piece of paper clutched desperately in his hand. He stared at it a moment before addressing the officers.

"Do you know what some people would do for love, Colonel, sir?" he said, "T-They'd do some pretty crazy things, yes they would. Crazy things indeed."

Roy glanced at Riza, swallowing the lump that had immediately formed in his throat. Riza looked away quickly. "How crazy are we talking here, Mr. Kayter?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"You never want to see someone you love suffer," he shook his head. "Oh no, can't have that. Can't see them suffer."

Roy stepped forward, signaling for Riza to follow him, her gun still raised. "No, no…" he agreed softly. "Can't have that. But how would you stop that?"

Jonathan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he rose to his feet, slowly making his way toward them. He hardly seemed to notice the gun aimed at his chest, his focus instead on the small piece of paper.

"I'm not brave, sir. No, sir, I'm not brave. A-And I'm not strong," he held the paper out tentatively. "But I do anything I can for the people I love. I don't want to see them suffer, sir."

Roy reached for the piece of paper Jonathan offered him, though Jonathan didn't seem to be letting go so quickly. Roy tugged gently, hoping the paper would slip, but it wasn't until Jonathan sighed heavily, that he relaxed his grip and let the Colonel take it from him.

Turning the paper over, he discovered that it was a newspaper clipping from many, many years before. The clipping announced the, at the time, recent wedding of a young smiling couple. Roy looked up at Jonathan, a bit confused at first.

"Do you think that maybe she looks familiar to you, sir?" Jonathan asked, his eyes now locked onto Roy's. "Do you think that maybe you've seen her before somewhere, Colonel?"

Roy looked back at the photo, the beaming bride staring back at him. He wasn't sure who he was looking at, but he could hardly deny the strange feeling creeping up the back of his spine. He'd seen this woman before.

"Sir, that's…" Riza looked at the article over his shoulder, her heart pounding uncontrollably as the face. "That's her…"

"Yes, ma'am," Jonathan responded, "You're right ma'am. That is my - she was my wife."

**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I've got most of the rest of the story pretty planned out, so I'm excited for it. I hope you're all still excited for it too! Let me know what you think!


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